Page 33 of Sin in My Inbox (Sexting Spark #1)

Avery

Ella. The real Ella.

The woman whose identity I'd stolen, who should have been sharing intimate moments with Dmitri—hell, maybe even a whole life with him.

The guilt hit me like a tsunami, drowning me completely.

I'd stolen her identity, snatched away her opportunities, even stolen what should have been hers—Dmitri's love.

And now she was standing right in front of me.

"Ella," my voice came out like sandpaper, every syllable shaking with shame so deep I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

She just shook her head gently and walked closer. My instincts screamed at me to run, to get the hell away from this suffocating confrontation, but my feet felt nailed to the ground. "No, Avery," her voice was eerily calm, "you don't need to apologize. At least, not for that."

My confusion was about to burst out of my chest. Why wasn't she pissed ?

Ella took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping across the empty garden like she was checking for safety—or maybe just trying to get her thoughts straight.

"You must have a million questions." She stepped closer. "Why I know who you are, why I'm here."

I nodded, my throat feeling like someone had stuffed cotton down it. My emotions were a complete shitstorm—guilt, fear, suspicion, and this weird ache in my chest.

She looked so worn down, like she was carrying some massive pain.

"I need to tell you the truth," she breathed deeply, like she was bracing herself for what came next, "and the danger that's coming."

"Danger?" I finally found my voice, my heart hammering with dread.

"Helena Carter," she said the name clearly, each syllable stabbing into my heart like an ice pick. "Your mother. She's in the VIP ward at downtown hospital right now, isn't she?"

My blood turned to ice. She didn't just know my mother's name—she knew exactly where she was!

"What are you going to do to my mother?" I screamed, terror overtaking any rational thought. "If you hate me, come after me! Leave her alone! She doesn't know anything!"

Ella immediately raised both hands in a calming gesture. "Easy, Avery. I told you, I'm not here to hurt you. It's the opposite—I'm here to help you. Help you and your mother."

"Help?" The word sounded ridiculous in this context. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Her gaze became intense, like she was trying to see into my soul. "But before I tell you how I can help, I need to ask you something crucial. And you have to be honest with me."

She paused, then asked word by word, "Do you love Dmitri?"

Admitting to the real Ella that I'd fallen for the man who should have been hers felt hard. The shame and guilt twisted together, nearly choking me. I looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

"Look at me, Avery." Her voice carried an undeniable authority. "This really matters. If you don't love him, then you still have a choice. You can take your mother and get out of this city right now, away from the storm that's coming. But if you love him-"

I snapped my head up, forcing myself to meet her gaze.

I gathered every ounce of strength I had, my voice still shaking but filled with desperate honesty: "Yes.

I love him. Even though this love started with a shitty lie, even though I know I don't deserve to be anywhere near him, I-I can't deny it, can't control it.

I'm completely, hopelessly in love with him. "

She stared at me for a long moment, like she was making some huge, difficult decision.

"Then listen to me. My father is one of Vladimir Ivanov's top lieutenants.

Five years ago, he followed Vladimir from Russia to LA to set up shop.

Vladimir sees Dmitri as a thorn in his side—he's been dying to take him out and absorb his territory.

So they came up with a plan—send me, as Ella Solovyeva, to get close to Dmitri, become his most trusted person, and spy on him. "

My blood completely froze. My brain went blank. I tried to speak, but it felt like invisible hands were strangling me.

"At first, I thought I'd just be playing secretary or assistant, collecting business intel.

" Ella's voice was full of disgust and barely contained rage, her fingers curling into fists.

"But when I arrived at that hotel suite that afternoon, following orders, and saw what was on the bed…

" She took a deep breath, like she was trying to shake off a sick memory.

"That black lace nightgown, full of implications—that's when I realized what they really wanted.

They didn't just want me to be a spy. They wanted to use my body as a weapon to seduce Dmitri. "

I remembered that nightgown—the starting point of my union with Dmitri had actually been another girl's torture device.

"I couldn't do it." Ella's voice was filled with deep pain, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"What broke me even more was that the person giving this disgusting order was my own father.

In his eyes, I wasn't his daughter—I was just a commodity he could use and sacrifice, a tool to achieve his goals.

In that moment, I felt my whole world crumble, leaving nothing but cold betrayal and complete despair. "

Watching her fight back tears, I felt a sharp pang of recognition. I'd had a father like that, too .

"So you chose to run," I said quietly, with a hint of understanding. "And I, some desperate stranger, through a twist of fate, accidentally filled the void you left behind."

"Exactly." She smiled bitterly, full of irony.

"When I later found out that someone had the balls to impersonate me and stay with Dmitri, I naturally assumed it was another, more 'obedient' replacement sent by Vladimir.

Until I took the risk to investigate… and found you.

An ordinary girl who'd accidentally gotten caught up in this deadly storm. "

Her gaze unconsciously swept over my stomach, and her expression became incredibly complex—surprise, worry, and even a hint of inexplicable tenderness. "Only I didn't expect your relationship to develop so fast, so deep. Avery, you might already be carrying his child."

My hand shot to my stomach, pressing hard against my flat belly. All those persistent waves of nausea lately, the sudden dizzy spells, the unexplained exhaustion, these scattered clues suddenly connected under her words, pointing to a possibility that terrified me.

"What did you just say?" My voice shot up, trembling with disbelief.

"My mother used to be an excellent obstetrician.

" Ella's voice became softer, with a professional observational tone.

"I picked up some basics from her. I've been watching you secretly these past few days—your occasional discomfort, your unconscious gestures, these symptoms aren't hard to recognize for someone with experience. "

"Why?" I stared into her eyes, trying to find any trace of deception or manipulation. "Why are you telling me all this? What's your agenda?"

Ella's eyes flashed with deep pain again—the kind of exhaustion that comes from being tired of manipulation and desperate to break free.

"Because I'm fucking done! Done being used as a pawn, done being betrayed by family.

Because I see how you love him—it might have started with lies, but it's genuine and pure, way more real than any arranged assignment.

And because-" She took another deep breath, her gaze falling to my stomach with something almost like mercy.

"I don't want to see an innocent child lose their mother before they're even born, or a mother lose her child because I kept my mouth shut. "

"Why would you say that?" My heart jumped to my throat. "Please, don't scare me anymore. Just tell me the truth."

Ella's voice suddenly became urgent and rushed. "Today, right after you left the hospital, they took control of your mother."

I jumped up, frantically pulling out my phone.

My fingers were shaking so violently from terror that I could barely hold the damn thing.

I desperately dialed my mother's number.

The endless waiting tone sounded like a death knell, finally ending in cold silence.

Despair froze my limbs like the deepest ice.

"Avery! Stay calm!" Ella quickly stepped forward, catching my swaying body with strong, steady arms. "If you want to save her, you need to listen to me right now!

She's already been moved to a private clinic my father controls.

It's heavily guarded, but it's also our only chance to rescue her while we still know where she is.

Once Vladimir orders another transfer, or if he senses something's up, the consequences would be unbearable. "

"I'll tell Dmitri!" I shouted like I was grabbing a lifeline. "I'll beg him! He must have a way! He has so many people—"

"No!" Ella cut me off decisively. "There are Vladimir's moles close to Dmitri! High-level ones! Can you guarantee the operation won't be leaked by traitors? The moment they know Dmitri's moves, your mother will be transferred immediately, maybe even eliminated. They won't give you any chance."

Overwhelming fear and helplessness drowned me. "Then what's your solution?" My voice was breaking, but in this desperate situation, some survival instinct made me grab onto the only hope in front of me, forcing myself to keep the last shred of sanity.

Ella's eyes flashed with reluctance and struggle, but she knew time was running out—she had to make a decision.

"They know you'll definitely go to the hospital to visit your mother.

Right now, there are people waiting at the hospital entrance, setting a trap for you to walk right into.

What you need to do is voluntarily walk into it. "

"What?" I stared at her in disbelief .